1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for transferring workpieces between pallets and at least one machine tool by means of a loader-unloader, which is reciprocable between the machine tool and a pallet support and which takes workpieces to be machined from the pallets and deposits machined workpieces on the pallets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that the handling of workpieces to be machined and machined workpieces can be simplified in that the workpieces to be machined are placed on stackable pallets in such an orientation that each workpiece to be machined can be taken over by the loader-unloader and the machined workpieces are deposited on the pallets. Those pallets which are loaded with workpiece blanks are delivered one after the other to a support, which usually consists of a coordinate deck so that each workpiece blank can be moved by a displacement of the pallet to a specific transfer position, in which the blank is taken over by the loader-unloader, which subsequently transfers the workpiece blank to the machine tool. The workpiece which has been machined is again placed in its previous position on the pallet and the latter is then displaced by means of the coordinate deck until the loader-unloader can take over the next workpiece blank. A disadvantage of said known systems resides in that a separate conveyor is required to place the laden pallets onto the coordinate deck. Besides, a relatively long nonproductive time is involved in the movement of the pallets between the position in which a machined workpiece is deposited and the position in which a workpiece blank is taken over by the loader-unloader.